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Re: Cost of tri (let's start over) [Slowman] [ In reply to ]
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I am still racing but less than I would if some things were different. I can afford to race as much as I want but am inherently frugal (which is probably why I can afford to race as much as I want). First of all I have no interest in bs ways to extract money and time from me such as requiring me to check in on a Friday for a Sunday IM race. That means I have to travel on Thursday because if one has delayed flight you might not make registration. So now with going home it is a five day trip. Local half ironman and olympic races offer the opportunity to check in and rack you bike the morning of the race so if ironman cannot do the same (at least for halfs) means I will race ironman races less. As far as I am concerned spectating a triathlon is boring so I am not asking my wife to come along. With the on call responsibilities of my job (family doctor in small town) it is a significant issue to make sure things are covered when I am away. I can only do that for so many times a year so family holidays take priority. Second thing is I hate having to register way in advance for races that are basically non-refundable. And the whole thing where races are held in places where the local hotel scene is overwealmed by the race and you have to book your hotel way in advance often non-refundable as well is a hassle. Last thing is the whole thing seems to have gotten way too serious at least at IM races. I don't understand middle of the pack triathletes spending 2-3 grand for aero wheels to go 2-3 mins faster in a half. I just take 3 min off my time and figure out where I would be if I had aero wheels. I had the most fun in the last few years at local low key races. I also had alot of fun at what seemed a low key challenge race this year in Europe. The times on average where fast but it seemed more low key. Somehow they manage to run races year after year with 300-400 entrants. IM Muskoka was a great time because I could drive to it. But they cancelled it because only 900 showed up. 900 seemed like not bad for the first year. The buzz was that a fair number of people avoided the race because they thought it would be too hard. I am not sure what the point is of looking for an easy full ironman.

They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot

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Re: Cost of tri (let's start over) [len] [ In reply to ]
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one thing that wasnt mentioned... (tri and run) RD's try to get you to purchase early for some crazy discount like 50%, with outlandish pricing close to race day. this creates quite a stress on the person that they likely wont sign up for others. i had to bail on 5 races last year after breaking a bone in my foot from being hit by a car on my bike
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Re: Cost of tri (let's start over) [ericmulk] [ In reply to ]
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ericmulk wrote:

$30 for goggles every year??? Shoot, I've been using same pair of $4.50 Swedes for about 10 yrs, with maintenance of two new bungee straps. And $10 for a swim cap??? What about all your caps from past triathlons, plus if you do the USMS Go The Distance challenge, you get a free cap every year. OTOH, I buy two suits per year at $30/suit so I guess we're about even on the whole. You ought to try those Swedes if you haven't though, best bang for your buck in goggles. :)

I was thinking the same thing about the cap and goggles! I use either cheapo Sprint style goggles. (Speedo, Nike and Arena all make them.). They are $6-$10 typically and they have a foam gasket that I find more comfortable for long distance races. Usually I buy a clear and mirrored pair each year. I don't think I have ever bought a cap - got them free in HS and college and then started doing tris. And actually, now that I think about it, I haven't paid for goggles in a year or two b/c I won a some gift cards to a local ski/tri shop as my prize at couple of local tris.

My biggest cost for swimming is tech suits. I buy a discounted one every year or two and that sets me back $100-$150. I resisted for years but I do go for records and Natl championship titles, and realized that those suits really do save time in swim meets. I use old ones for open water swims as they are not nearly as uncomfortable once they stretch out so I get a few more years out of them that way. Then when they are too loose to use for ow swims or when they start deteriorating thus becoming indecent, I will put them under a regular training suit and wear during cold outdoor swim training sessions. The legs in the suit help keep me a little warmer as does wearing two suits. I will use them till they totally deteriorate - had a suit that was over 10 years old that I finally had to retire after this summer. Same deal with practice suits - I will only buy them on sale. Often Marshall's or TJ Max will have Speedo or Nike training suits for under $20 in the spring. It is hit or miss but I will stock up when I find them. I tend to go through about 3 a year but only because I swim every day so go through more suits than most. I will wear two old ones together to get a few more months out of them.

-leh
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Re: Cost of tri (let's start over) [leh] [ In reply to ]
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leh wrote:
ericmulk wrote:


$30 for goggles every year??? Shoot, I've been using same pair of $4.50 Swedes for about 10 yrs, with maintenance of two new bungee straps. And $10 for a swim cap??? What about all your caps from past triathlons, plus if you do the USMS Go The Distance challenge, you get a free cap every year. OTOH, I buy two suits per year at $30/suit so I guess we're about even on the whole. You ought to try those Swedes if you haven't though, best bang for your buck in goggles. :)


I was thinking the same thing about the cap and goggles! I use either cheapo Sprint style goggles. (Speedo, Nike and Arena all make them.). They are $6-$10 typically and they have a foam gasket that I find more comfortable for long distance races. Usually I buy a clear and mirrored pair each year. I don't think I have ever bought a cap - got them free in HS and college and then started doing tris. And actually, now that I think about it, I haven't paid for goggles in a year or two b/c I won a some gift cards to a local ski/tri shop as my prize at couple of local tris.
My biggest cost for swimming is tech suits. I buy a discounted one every year or two and that sets me back $100-$150. I resisted for years but I do go for records and Natl championship titles, and realized that those suits really do save time in swim meets. I use old ones for open water swims as they are not nearly as uncomfortable once they stretch out so I get a few more years out of them that way. Then when they are too loose to use for ow swims or when they start deteriorating thus becoming indecent, I will put them under a regular training suit and wear during cold outdoor swim training sessions. The legs in the suit help keep me a little warmer as does wearing two suits. I will use them till they totally deteriorate - had a suit that was over 10 years old that I finally had to retire after this summer. Same deal with practice suits - I will only buy them on sale. Often Marshall's or TJ Max will have Speedo or Nike training suits for under $20 in the spring. It is hit or miss but I will stock up when I find them. I tend to go through about 3 a year but only because I swim every day so go through more suits than most. I will wear two old ones together to get a few more months out of them. -leh

360 day/yr swimmers think alike although TBH I don't do the 2 old suits thing any more, and buy my suits at my local swim shop (LSS), just to give them some business. The girl who owns it swam for UCLA and competed on the ITU circuit back in '03-05, so I like to give her my patronage.


"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."
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Re: Cost of tri (let's start over) [gphin305] [ In reply to ]
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gphin305 wrote:
There are also numerous (at least 6-7....could be more) local community sprint distance events here in the Philly/South Jersey area that charge $65-75k.

Unfortunately all of the DQ sprints only have a 1/4 mile swim. The local sprints used to be half OD with a 750m swim. The races that had 750m swims nearly have become extinct in the Philly area. Sunset Sprint was my all-time favorite but their lake became contaminated so they had to move it to Parvin State Park. With the move they decided to drop it to a 1/4 mile swim even though the lake could easily handle a half mile. Thundergust tri, which also used to be held in Parvin State park also had a half mile swim. The problem was that Parvin State Park stopped allowing tris between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Other local races already had the dates before Memorial Day and after Labor Day so both of those races are gone now. I am rarely willing to pay that cheaper $70-$80 fee for a race with a swim that barely takes longer than the transitions.

Wilkes Barre added a sprint 2 years ago with a half mile++ swim and Skylands still has a sprint with a 750m swim but both of those races have very hilly bike rides and cost more than the DQ events. I miss flat/rolling hill courses with a 750m swim. Philly Tri has one if you like racing with tons of others on a crowded course but b/c it is in the city, it is a bit too pricey for me.

This is a big reason why I no longer race as much as I used to. If there were local sprints offered for $75-$90 with a half mile swim I would be racing a lot more than the 4-5 tris I do per year now.

My limit is $100 for a local sprint (unless there is a little prize money that may allow me to get some of the entry fee back). This summer I went through the whole sign up process for a local tri only to find that after the unadvertised active.com (or whatever the company was) fee it went up to $105. That extra $5 was the deciding factor. I could afford another five bucks but chose not to do it b/c it should have been stated up front.

-leh
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Re: Cost of tri (let's start over) [Slowman] [ In reply to ]
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I began triathlon at the tender age of 59, with a local sprint event featuring a mountain bike course. I dusted off the old MTB, bought a sleeveless wetsuit off of Amazon for $100 plus some goggles, running shoes and tri shorts and for not much more than $300 total I was in the sport. I see folks in sprint tri's riding mountain bikes all the time. There was even a young guy on a mountain bike at the Coeur d'Alene IM 70.3 this summer and he rode very strong. We passed each other a few times, tortoise and hare style, until I took him for good about 40 miles in.

Before this season, I dropped $1,900 into a road bike with clip-on aero bars. I don't feel the need for a tri bike. There will be other HIM races for me, but I will never go the full 140.6 route. I can't see riding / training around town on a tri bike.

I don't pay for coaching but I do pay to be able to pool swim. I live in the Coeur d'Alene area so from September to June you are pretty much swimming in a pool due to water temps.

North Idaho is an area blessed with numerous sprint and olympic distance triathlons that are generally affordable to participate in. I guess I have the money to get stupid crazy investing in triathlon but I don't want to.
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